Words By: Bre Offenberger

Concrete Castles have released their debut single, “Just a Friend,” following their signing to Velocity Records / Equal Vision Records. Frontwoman Audra Miller’s vocal tone, comparable to that of megastar Halsey, combined with forcefully whizzing drums from Sam Gilman make for a track that won’t be forgotten anytime soon.

Gentle, reverbed guitar strums from Matt Yost open up the trio’s track as Miller calmly asks her partner what secret they’re concealing when they’re up at night hastily texting someone. As Miller finally gets them to admit they’re talking to a friend — which she doesn’t believe for a second — the instrumentation expands to jolting drums and guitars that will not only kickstart a sense of confidence in confronting your partner when they deserve it, but a wave of self-assurance in one’s abilities in general. Miller begs her partner to relieve her worries and prove they’re not over her. She reminds them of all their good times, of how much she loves them, but she begins to realize she may not know her significant other as well as she thought. She ends by using her flawless head voice, proving that no matter what happens, she knows be able to move forward well.

The video opens with all zoomed in shots of all three bandmates playing their respective instruments before switching back and forth from Miller rocking the microphone and a pair of dancers, playing the roles of Miller and her partner, showing off their moves. Tints of almost every color of the rainbow take turns illuminating all their faces. When every element of the song intensifies in the chorus, the dancers become as elegant as ever, depicting the rises and falls of the argument. The last shot of the dancers shows them separated, hinting at the inevitable end of the relationship coming.

Of the track, the band shares: “‘Just a Friend’ is about having trust issues and making a problem out of something before it even begins,” the band shares. “It’s being skeptical about a partner and not having enough trust to let them have friends or interact with anyone if it isn’t you. Being so scared that there are other people they may think are better than you.”